“Men Need To Do Better” – Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck called for men, including himself, to do better and be more accountable as he discussed recent sexual misconduct scandals on the “Late Show”.

“I didn’t understand what it’s like to be groped, to be harassed, to be interrupted, talked over, paid less, you know, pushed around, belittled.”

During a lengthy interview with the host Stephen Colbert, the “Justice League” star addressed male privilege, the allegations made against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, the accusation made against himself and his recent backfired comment about sexual harassment.

Affleck felt the claims made against Weinstein were awful and hideos, tainting his memory of the movies he’d worked on with the producer. Affleck He also pledged to donate future profits from his Weinstein or Miramax projects to charities for victims of sexual assault.

Hilarie Burton had said that Affleck had grabbed her breast during a 2003 “Total Request Live” interview. The actor respodnded to the allegation saying that, although he did not remember doing it, he apologised for it.

Affleck, however, did not address makeup artist Annamarie Tendler’s claim that he groped her at a Golden Globes party in 2014.

With regard to a recent “Justice League” press tour interview during which he appeared to joke about sexual harassment, Affleck said:

“It was a serious question and I kind of felt uncomfortable, and didn’t know what to say and laughed awkwardly. It’s a tricky thing to try to handle. I think the most important thing to do is to support the voices coming forward, believe them, and create a business where more women are empowered and in place so less of this happens. And so that there is a way of reporting this stuff so that people can feel safe doing it.”

Affleck, on the issue of male privilege, said he realised that he didn’t quite understand the scope of the problem like he thought he did.

“I didn’t understand what it’s like to be groped, to be harassed, to be interrupted, talked over, paid less, you know, pushed around, belittled ― all the things that women deal with that, for me as a man, I have the privilege of not having to deal with. Part of this for me has been listening to people I really care about and love as they tell me stories of stuff that has happened to them, this is men and women, and recognizing it’s a real thing.”

He added:

“I’m not a spokesman, I’m not a superhero, I can’t change it by myself. I can just be accountable for myself and for my actions.”